Invasion
House guests hang in campus buildings
Nick Tabor
Issue date: 9/6/07 Section: News
When sophomores Sarah Stevens and Liz Kirk found a bat in the hallway of Mauck's second floor, they got frantic.
"We're ducking and dodging as the bat comes down the hall," Stevens said. "It was going bananas. It was freaking out."
Liz scrambled to open the window as the bat swooped toward it. She hoped it would leave.
"But there was a stupid hair tie holding the window closed," she said.
When she finally opened it, the bat exited.
"It was a real celebration. It was a great start to our first week," said Stevens, a fellow transfer student with Kirk.
Their experience was just one a bevy of local bat encounters that mirror an increase statewide that has roused health officials to warn of rabies. Over 1,000 bats have been submitted for testing in Michigan, resulting in 160 rabies confirmations, the Department of Community Health reported. Last year, 39 cases were confirmed.
Janet Breneman, clinic coordinator for the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency, said four bats from Hillsdale County have tested positive for rabies this year.
Mike Wertz, director of security, said his department has removed bats from campus nearly every day since the semester began. He's found them in Central Hall, the Sigma Chi house, the Paul House and Mauck Hall.
Wertz said he honors residents' requests to let the bats live, but otherwise kills them swiftly.
"Our weapon of choice has been a tennis racket and leather gloves," Wertz said.
Registrar Doug McArthur, who removed about 12 bats from Central Hall during the summer, said he opts for a broom.
"They're all over the place," McArthur said.
He even found one perched on the cashier's ledge.
Breneman said residents who find a bat should kill it and bring it to the agency for testing. Bat teeth are so small that people can't always tell when they have been bitten, Breneman said.
"Assume every bat is rabid until proven differently," she said.
Symptoms usually appear after two or three months, but it can take as many as two years to fully develop.
If the bat can't be tested, she advised taking a rabies vaccination to be safe.
Thomas Cooley, wildlife biologist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, said rabies cases always peak in summer.
Breneman said some residents mistakenly think they've killed bats when they are actually just unconscious.
"We're ducking and dodging as the bat comes down the hall," Stevens said. "It was going bananas. It was freaking out."
Liz scrambled to open the window as the bat swooped toward it. She hoped it would leave.
"But there was a stupid hair tie holding the window closed," she said.
When she finally opened it, the bat exited.
"It was a real celebration. It was a great start to our first week," said Stevens, a fellow transfer student with Kirk.
Their experience was just one a bevy of local bat encounters that mirror an increase statewide that has roused health officials to warn of rabies. Over 1,000 bats have been submitted for testing in Michigan, resulting in 160 rabies confirmations, the Department of Community Health reported. Last year, 39 cases were confirmed.
Janet Breneman, clinic coordinator for the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency, said four bats from Hillsdale County have tested positive for rabies this year.
Mike Wertz, director of security, said his department has removed bats from campus nearly every day since the semester began. He's found them in Central Hall, the Sigma Chi house, the Paul House and Mauck Hall.
Wertz said he honors residents' requests to let the bats live, but otherwise kills them swiftly.
"Our weapon of choice has been a tennis racket and leather gloves," Wertz said.
Registrar Doug McArthur, who removed about 12 bats from Central Hall during the summer, said he opts for a broom.
"They're all over the place," McArthur said.
He even found one perched on the cashier's ledge.
Breneman said residents who find a bat should kill it and bring it to the agency for testing. Bat teeth are so small that people can't always tell when they have been bitten, Breneman said.
"Assume every bat is rabid until proven differently," she said.
Symptoms usually appear after two or three months, but it can take as many as two years to fully develop.
If the bat can't be tested, she advised taking a rabies vaccination to be safe.
Thomas Cooley, wildlife biologist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, said rabies cases always peak in summer.
Breneman said some residents mistakenly think they've killed bats when they are actually just unconscious.
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